The Patna University syndicate on Tuesday cleared the changes made by the institute’s academic council, paving way for the students to record minimum 75 per cent attendance and 45 per cent marks in six papers for being promoted to the next semester.

Patna University vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Singh said: “Most of the decisions taken by the academic council last week making changes in the earlier examination ordinance of semester system has been approved by the syndicate.”

The earlier ordinance, which had different rules for promotion of students to the next semester, has been amended. Earlier, there were discrepancies in the examination ordinance in science, social science, humanities and commerce streams.

Singh said: “This was a special syndicate meeting convened by the university primarily to pass the changes made by the academic council regarding the semester system examination ordinance.” The syndicate meeting was held after five months. According to university sources, once approved by the syndicate to the changes (see chart) in the examination ordinance of semester system made by academic council, the new ordinance would be sent to Raj Bhavan for final approval.

Welcoming the changes, Kishan Kumar, a second-semester geology student, said: “In semester system, we get less time for self-study. It is good that the university has decided to be flexible in examination ordinance. If a student gets poor marks in some papers, s/he should get a chance to clear all the papers by the end of the fourth semester.”

The syndicate also gave its approval to the utilisation certificate from June 2011 to February 2013. The utilisation certificate consists of the total fund received by the university from government and central agencies and total expenses.